Window construction



lAug. 19, 1958 R. H, scHuLTE 2,8

WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1955 2 Shea?l s-Sheet 1 FIG-.6

RAYMOND H SCHULTE INVENTOR.

Aug. 19, 1958 R. H. scHULTE wmnow CONSTRUCTION 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 25. 1955 RAYMOND H. SCHUH-E JNVENTOR.

United States Patent() WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Raymond H. Schulte, Orange,N. 5. Application April 25, 1955, Serial No. 503,705

Claims. (Cl. 20-12) This invention relates to window constructions, andan object of the invention is to provide a window structure which willpermit washing of the outside of a window pane from the inside of theroom in which the window is located.

More specically, the invention comprehends a window construction whichwill permit window frames of the ordinary vertical sliding windowstructure to be swung inwardly into a room to permit cleaning of thewindow pane without requiring the use of safety belts, ladders or thelike, and without requiring the person cleaning the window to `lean orhang out of the window, thereby eliminating liability of accident to thewindow washer.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby windows maybe swung inwardly fo-r washing the window panes, which means `is simplein construction, low in cost, may be installed in new or old window`structures with relatively small alterations thereto and may beoperated with a minimum oflabor by anyone capable of washing or cleaningwindow panes and further, to provide such means which may be completelystamped from sheet metal and quickly and economically assembled.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from theaccompanying specification, the invention consists of various featuresof construction and combination of parts, which will be rst described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a window showing one section of thewindow swung inwardly.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the Window strncture showing bothsections of the window swung inwardly.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the mechanism for releasablyholding the `parting strip and side molding of the window frame inplace, with its cover plate removed.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the mechanism releasably holdingthe parting strip and side molding of the window frame in place taken onthe line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken at right angles to the sectionshown in Figure 3 and on the line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section taken on line 7-7 of Figure 3 througha part of the parting strip showing the keeper attached thereto and itsrespective strike.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 3 througha part of the molding strip showing the keeper attached thereto and itsrespective strike.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one form of keeper.

Figure l0 is a perspective View of another form of keeper.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indi- Cates an ordinarywindow casing such as employed in ICC houses and various otherbuildings. The Window structure shown in Figure 1 has an upper windowsash 2 and a lower window sash 3 of ordinary construction, slidablysupported therein to permit vertical sliding movement for opening orclosing the window. As is usual in windows of this type, the upper frame2 is separated from the lower frame 3 by a parting strip 4 and theinnermost sash which is usually the lower sash 3 is confined in positionby a molding strip 5. In the present invention, the parting strip 4 andthe vertical side molding strip 5 are removable so that they may betaken out of the window frame or casing to permit the sash 2 and sash 3to be swung inwardly into the room in which the window is mounted as isshown in Figure 2 of the drawings in the bottom or lower part of Figurel of the drawings. Such inward kswinging movement permits a windowwasher to wash or clean the outer surfaces of the panes of the windowsfrom the interior of the room and thus eliminating all of the manyhazards contingent with the cleaning of the outside surfaces of windowpanes.

It is, 4of course, at times when the window panes are not being cleaned,necessary to hold the parting strip 4 and the molding 5 firmly in placeto permit normal operation of the window, `and the present inventioncomprises th e Vcombination with a removable parting strip and side`molding of a window with means for releasably locking these elements inposition.

The releasable locking means includes keepers 10 attached to the partingstrip 4 and moldingstrip 5 at spaced points corresponding to the pointsat which the releasable locking elements are attached in the windowframe 1.

As shown in Figures 9 and l0, the keepers are stamped from any suitabletype of sheet metal such as spring steel. -In Figure 9, one form of thevkeepers 10 is shown having a U-shaped middle section 10m and laterallyeX- tending attaching ears 10b and 10c continuous therewith. The ears10b and 10c have openings to provide for fastening the keepers to therespective strips 4 and 5. Spurs 11 at the ends of the ears 10b and 10c,respectively, will be embodied into the wood of the parting strip 4 andmolding strip 5 to hold them in place initially, while they are beingattached, and thereafter act to prevent the keepers from being `jarred`from position during the attaching and removal operations.

Disposed in the U-shaped middle portion 10m are spring means 10d and 10eWhich are struck from the middle portion `during the formation of thekeepers.

In Figure l0, a modilied form of keeper structure `is shown. Theelements of this inodied form being identical with that above describedfor the form of the keeper shown in Figure 9 except that a differenttype vspring element as at "107 is provided. The spring element `10']cmay be formed as an integral part of the initial stamping and thenfolded back on the U-shaped portion 10a as is shown in Figure l0 or itmay be connected thereto as by Spot welding.

The purpose of the spring elements `in the U-shaped middle portion ofthe keepers `10 are to allow for 'differences in clearance producedduring the installation of the releasable locking elements asishereinafter described.

Releasable locking7 elements The releasable locking elements which coactwith the keepers are mounted in the window frame 1, usually two spacedelements being sufficient asis shown in Figure l of the drawings. Thisis accomplished by means of a recess A cut into the window frame 'which`extends laterally from the normal parting `strip receiving recess inthel windowframe andby a further recess Brin the parting strip receivingrecess on the same plane as the recess A and continuous with the recessA as is shown in Figures 4, 7 and 8 of the drawings.

The recess B receives the strike 12 which cooperates with the keeper 10carried by the parting strip. The strike 12 is provided with laterallyoiset attaching ears 12a and 12b for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

A housing 13 is mounted in the recess A formed in the window frame whichhousing is stamped from sheet metal to provide sections thereof bent atright angles to the back 14 of the housing to form thejupstanding sides15 of the housing. The `side 15 remote from the parting strip receivingrecess in the window frame has an extension 16 formed along its entirelength. A portion of this eXtension 16 forms the strike 17 forcooperating with the keepers 1i! of the molding strip 5 and the strikeforming portion of this extension 16 is slightly offset therefrom tocompensate for the thickness of the molding carried keeper 10 so as topermit the molding to lie flush against the outer surface of the windowframe as is indicated in Figures 5, 6 and 8 of the drawings.

On opposite sides of the strike forming portion 17 of the extension 16are lateral attaching ears 17a and 17b provided with openings therein topermit the strike to be screwed to the the window frame. Similaropenings are provided in the housing back 14 for also attaching thehousing to the window frame.

As is clearly shown in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, however, the projections12a, 12b, 17a and 17b are offset so that they are aligned with the back14 of the housing 13. This construction allows the recesses A and Bwhich receive the releasable locking element to he cut to a single depth`at the time of installation thereof.

A pair of tumblers 18 and 19 are carried by the back plate 14 of thehousing 13 and they project through suitable openings 20 in the sides 15of the housing. The tumblers 18 and 19 are `spaced laterally one fromthe yother and have rack teeth 21 formed on their facing edges which areengaged by a pinion 22. The tumblers 18 and 19 and the pinion 22 areheld in place within the housing 13 by an inner plate 23 which hasoffset portions 24 formed thereon providing tumbler receiving, retainingand guiding passages 25. The facing edges of these offset portionsoverlap the pinion 22 so as to hold the pinion in position loosely sothat it may be rotated and the inner plate is provided with an opening26 therein between the offset portions 24. An extension 27 is formedupon or attached to the pinion 22 and projects into the housing 13. Thisextension is formed of sheet metal having a tongue 28 thereon whichextends through and is attached to the pinion 22. The projecting portionof the eXtension 27 is rolled and forms means for hingedly connecting apinion rotating handle 29 to the pinion. This hinged connection permitsthe handle 29 to be folded downwardly into the housing when not in useor extended upwardly for convenient engagement by the thumb and fingerof a person for operating the tumblers by rotation of the pinion. Acover plate 30 is hingedly connected to the housing and forms a neatappearing closure for the outer face of the housing.

When the housing 13 is installed in the recesses A in the frame due tosmall variations which developed from the variations in the depth of therecess or the tightness with which the elements holding the housing andthe strikes were aixed, it was found that the tumblers 18 and 19 did notproperly engage the U-shaped medial portions 10a of the keepers 10.Accordingly, to overcome this problem, the U-shaped medial portions 10aof the keepers 10 are made slightly deeper than the lowermost or remoteface of the tumblers 18 and 19 and the spring elements 10d and 10e arealso shown in the modiiied form of the keeper. The spring elements 10JLare provided to hold the parting strip 4 and molding strip 5 snugly inposition when the keepers 10 are engaged by the tumblers 18 and 19,respectively, during the operation of the present construction.

In a window structure including upper and lower sliding sashes,mechanisms for releasably locking the molding strip and parting strip inposition is placed in the front left-hand channel of a window, i. e.,two for each window, and when it is desired to wash the outside of thepanes of the window sash both these mechanisms are operated to releasethe molding and the parting strip and the molding and parting strips arethen removed and the lower sash is swung outwardly into the room, andthe outside of the winr ow pane washed after which the upper sash ismoved downwardly and swung out into the room and the outer surface ofits window pane washed. After washing the outer surface of the windowpane of the upper sash it is moved back into its normal position and thelower sash is moved into its normal position after which the moldingstrip 5 and the parting strip 4 are replaced in their normal positionand the pinion rotated to move the tumblers into locking engagement withthe keepers 10 and strikes 12, after which the window is in its normalarrangement for normal operation.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thespeciiic construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they maybe widely modied within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination in a window casing including a detachable partingstrip and a detachable molding strip of keepers mounted on said partingstrip and said molding strip, strikes attached to said window casingadapted to receive said keepers, slidable tumblers carried by saidwindow casing, and means for moving said tumblers into and out of saidkeepers for locking and releasing said molding and parting striprelative to the window casing.

2. In the combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least the strikescoacting with the molding strip keepers are offset, and the tumblerengaging said molding strip keepers is also oset to coact with saidoffset strikes and said keepers.

3. In a structure for permitting removal of a parting strip and moldingstrip of a window construction of the sliding window sash type to allowthe window sash to be removed, the combination of a window casing, asliding window sash in the casing, a removable parting strip along oneside of the window casing, strikes attached to the window casing,keepers carried by the parting strip and by the molding strip andengaging through said strikes, a housing recessed in said window casing,slidable tumblers carried by said housing, means for moving saidtumblers into and out of said keepers for locking and releasing saidmolding and parting strips relative to said Window casing, at least thestrikes cooperating with the molding carried keepers being formedintegrally with said housing and offset suciently with respect to thefront of the housing to compensate for the thickness `of said moldingcarried keepers.

4. In a structure for permitting removal of a parting strip and moldingstrip of a window construction of the sliding window sash type to allowthe window sash to be removed, the combination of a window casing, asliding window sash in the casing, a removable parting strip along oneside of the window casing, strikes attached to the window casing,keepers carried by the parting strip and by the molding strip andengaging through said strikes, a housing recessed in said window casing,slidable tumblers carried by said housing, means for moving saidtumblers into and out of said keepers for locking and releasing saidmolding and parting strips relative to said window casing, at least saidstrikes in operative relation with said molding carried keepers havingoiset attaching ears thereon to space the strikes the desired depthrelative to said housing.

5. In a structure for permitting removal of a parting strip and moldingstrip of a Window construction of the sliding window sash type to allowthe window sash to be removed, the combination of a window casing, asliding window sash in the casing, a removable parting strip along oneside of the window casing, strikes attached to the window casing,keepers carried by the parting strip and by the molding strip andengaging through said strikes, a housing recessed in said window casing,slidable tumblers carried by said housing, means for moving saidtumblers into and out of said keepers for locking and releasing saidmolding and parting strips relative to said window casing, at least thestrikes cooperating with the molding carried keepers being formedintegrally with said housing and olset suilciently with respect to thefront of the housing to compensate for the thickness of said moldingcarried keepers, and said strikes having attaching ears laterally oisetto space the strikes the desired depth relative to said housing.

6. In a structure for permitting removal of a parting strip and moldingstrip of a window construction of the sliding window sash type to allowthe window sash to be removed, the combination of a window casing, asliding window sash in the casing, a removable parting strip along oneside of the window casing, strikes attached to the window casing,keepers carried by the parting strip and by the molding strip andengaging through said strikes, slidable tumblers carried by said windowcasing and movable into and out of said keepers for locking andreleasing said molding and parting strips in relation to said windowcasing, and said keepers having spring means in the medial portionthereof for engagement with said tumblers to provide for limitedvariations in clearance therebetween.

7. In a window structure including, a casing, window sash slidablymounted in said casing, and at least one parting strip and one moldingstrip mounted on one side of said casing the combination of means forremovably mounting said parting strip and said molding strip to allowsaid window sash to be removed from the casing comprising, at least onehousing recessed in said casing between the portions thereof mountingsaid parting strip and said molding strip, a strike disposed adjacenteach of the sides of said housing, keepers carried by the parting stripand the molding strip and disposed to extend through said strikes 'inassembled position, slidable tumblers car- Iied by said housing, arotatable pinion carried by said housing, rack teeth formed on saidtumblers and engaging said pinions for moving the tumblers upon rotationof the pinion whereby the tumblers will be moved into and out ofengagement with said keepers to lock and release said parting strip andmolding strip with respect to said casing.

8. A structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein said housing is made ofsheet metal and comprises a lateral extension along one side thereof, aportion of said extension forming the strike for the molding carriedkeeper and being oiset with respect to the remainder of the extension tocompensate for the thickness of the molding keeper.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 7 including an inner plate insaid housing having oiset portions forming tumbler receiving andretaining channels, means for attaching said inner plate in saidhousing, portions of said offset portions overlapping said pinion tohold the pinion against lateral displacement in the housing.

l0. In a structure for permitting removal of a parting strip and moldingstrip of a window construction of the sliding window sash type to allowthe window sash to be removed, the combination of a window casing, asliding window sash in the casing, a removable parting strip along oneside of the window casing, strikes .attached to the window casing,keepers carried by the parting strip and by the molding strip andengaging through said strikes, a housing recessed in said window frame,slidable tumblers carrier by said housing, .a rotatable pinion carriedby said housing, rack teeth formed on said tumblers and engaging saidpinion for moving the tumblers upon rotation of the pinion to move thetumblers into and out of said keepersfor locking and releasing saidmolding and parting strips with respect to said casing, .and saidkeepers having spring means in the medial portion for engagement withsaid tumblers to provide for limited variations in clearancetherebetween.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,195,594 Kohut Aug. 22, 1916 1,216,697 Kamianczyn Feb. 20, 19171,271,174 Klayman July 2, 1918 1,363,770 Gerber Dec. 28, 1920 2,101,035Mistretta Dec. 7, 1937

